Cattle-stall



M. J. BROWN. CATTLE STALL.

(No, Model.)

Patented Dec. '31, 1895.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

MERRILL J. DROVVN, OF BARABOO, \VISCONSIN.

CATTLE-STALL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,107, dated December31, 1895.

Application filed September 5, 1895. Serial No. 561,577. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MERRILL J. DROWN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baraboo, in the county of Sauk and State of Wisconsin, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Cattle-Stalls; and I dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in stalls for confining cows andother cattle, and it consists in the peculiar construction, certainnovel combinations, and the adaptation of parts hereinafter described,and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinalsectional view of a stall embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontalsectional view of two stalls embodying my invention. Fig. 3 is a detailsection taken in the plane indicated by the line w w of Fig. 2. Fig. 4is adetail transverse section of Fig. 1, to be hereinafter referred to,and Fig. 5 is a detail view of a modification.

Referring by letter to said drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1to 4 thereof, A indicates the ground floor of a barn or stable.

B indicates a floor which is arranged slightly above the ground floor.

0 indicates a series of beams which are arranged in advance of the floorB and extend in the direction of the length of the stalls between thesame, as shown in Fig. 2.

D indicates a series of stringers of less height than the beams O, whichare arranged at intervals between said beams.

E indicates the stationary portion of the floor of my improved stall,which is arranged upon the stringers D, between the beams O, and is of athickness corresponding to the difference in height between thestringers and beams, so as to rest flush with the upper sides of thebeams.

F indicates the adjustable portion of the stall-floor, which is of athickness equal to that of the stationary portion and is mounted uponthe stringers D, between the beams C, and upon a rear transversestringer G, and is provided at its rear end on its under side with astrip a, designed to bear upon the floor 13.

H indicates the stationary side walls of the stalls, which are connectedto and rise from the beams O and have their rear ends connected by atransverse wall I.

J indicates pairs of rearwardly-inclined posts, which are arrangedadjacent to the rear ends of the beams C, and are connected to saidbeams and to the roof of the stable, and K indicates posts which arearranged adjacent to the rear ends of the stationary side walls H andhave their ends j ournaled in the beams C and stable-roof, as shown, soas to enable them to turn for a purpose presently described. These postsK respectively comprise two bars I) I), connected together and arrangedabout the proportional distance illustrated apart, and they are designedfor the connection of the vertically movable side walls or gates L. Saidwalls or gates L are designed when closed to rest between the posts J,as shown in Fig. 1, and they have their forward ends arranged betweenthe bars I) bf of posts K, and they are by preference pivotallyconnected to said bars I) Z) by transverse bolts M, which extend throughthe lower forward I corners of the partitions or gates L, asillustrated. I

By reason of the construction thus far described it will be observedthat when desired the portion F of the stall-floor may be adjusted toincrease or diminish the length of the stalls and that when desired thesaid portion F may be adjusted when a cow or other animal is in thestall. It will be further observed that the gates or movable partitionsL may be readily raised to permit escape of the cattle in case of fireor to enable a person to enter the stalls from the side thereof.

In order that the gates or walls L may be easily raised I provide ropesR, which are connected to the gates and are provided with weights S forcounterbalancing the gates and helping to raise the same. The ropes Itmay be connected to the gates or walls L in various ways, but I preferin practice to connect them at one end to the upper rear corners of thegates and carry them over sheaves 0, connected to the roof, and providethem at their 0pposite ends with weights S, as shown. When the ropes andweights R S are thus arranged, the gates or walls L may be raised byavery ICO slight pull upon the weighted end of the ropes, which is animportant advantage, as is ob- Vious.

In case of fire it is desirable to quickly and simultaneously raise allof the gates or partitions L, so as to permit the cattle to file out ofthe several stalls, and to this end I have provided the rope T, which isdesigned to extend the full length of the series of stalls at theforward ends of the same and is connected with the ropes R by branchropes U, which take around horizontally-disposed pulleys d, connected tothe roof, as shown. By this arrangement a person standing at the door ofthe stable or barn is enabled by pulling on the end of the rope T tosimultaneously raise all of the gates or partitions L of the severalstalls, so as to permit the cattle to file out between the posts K andthe uprights J. In this way the cattle may be enabled to quickly escapein case of fire or may be allowed to pass from the stable into a fieldfor pasture or other purposes.

The movable gates or partitions L are also advantageous inasmuch as whenthey are raised a person may enter the stalls from the side and may,when desired, sit in the space occupied by the gate, when down, and milkthe cows in the stalls.

V indicates brackets which are connected to the uprights J and areprovided in their upper edges at intervals in their length with notchese.

W indicates a wire or rod which extends the length of the several stallsand is designed to rest in the notches e of the brackets V, and Xindicates a curtain about the width of a stall, which is looselyconnected to the rod W, so as to permit of it being moved on the rodfrom one stall to another when the rod WV is raised from thesupporting-brackets. This curtain is designed to rest close to the cow,so as to prevent her from switching her tail around against the milker,and by reason of the plurality of notches in the brackets V the rod NVmay be moved so as to adjust the curtain toward or from the cow.

X indicates a water-trough arranged on the stationary floor portion andextending across the several stalls. Y indicates the feedtrough, whichpreferably has its rear wall inclined rearwardly, and is designed torest over the water-trough, and also cover the space between the fioorportions E and F, and Z indicates a rack-frame which is connected to thetrough Y. This rack-frame comprises vertical side bars g, transversebars h, and intermediate vertical bars 1', and it has the upper ends ofits side bars pivotally connected to hangers A, which have a pluralityof apertures at intervals in their length, as shown, so as to permit ofthe rack being hung at various distances from the rear end of the stall,according to the length of the stall desired.

The frame Z and trough. Y form a rack for hay and the like, and byreason of the said rack-frame being hung in a pivotal manner it will beseen that when the cow strikes her horns against the trough in gettingup, as frequently happens, the frame and trough will swing forwardly, soas not to engage the horns of the animal and interfere with her gettingup. It will also be seen that by shoving against the rack Z with herhead the cow may push the same forward, so as to uncover thewater-trough and permit access thereto.

When desired the rack Z may comprise transverse bars 7L, havingvertically-disposed apertures at intervals in its length to receive rods11, as shown in Fig. 5. The rods 1" are removable and rest upon thetrough Y when in position, and by removing some of the bars and leavingothers the width of the spaces between the rods may be increased ordiminished according to the kind of food to be fed to the cows.

By reason of the fact that the posts K are journaled in the beams C andthe roof, as before described, and the fact that the bars Z) of saidposts are made of a less width than the bars I), so as not to engage theends of the stationary walls II, it will be seen that when slightlyraised to disengage them from the uprights J the gates or partitions Lmay be swung to one side, as shown in Fig. 2, and held in such positionby a chain D, which is connected to it and designed to be detachablyconnected to one of the uprights J in the manner shown. When in theposition just stated, the gate or partition wall L rests across the backof one of the stalls and prevents the cow from such stall from pushingagainst a person who is milking the cow in the next stall and is seatedbetween the two stalls.

In order to return or assist in returning the gates or partition-walls Lto their normal position I provide the coiled springs E, which have oneend connected to the posts K and their other ends connected to thestationary walls H, and in order to stop the said gates orpartition-Walls L when they come into alignment with the space betweenthe parallel bars of the posts J, I provide the stop-plates F. (Betterillustrated in Fig. 4). When the gates or partition-walls are returnedto their normal position it will be observed that they may be raised andlowered in the manner before described, the springs E serving to holdthem in proper relation to the uprights J.

It will be perceived from the foregoing that with all of its advantagesmy improved stall is very simple, and may therefore be manufacturedalmost as cheaply as stalls at present in use, and it will also beobserved that my improvements embody no posts which 1 are likely to getout of order after a short period of use.

Having described my invention, what I claim is.

1. A stall for cattle comprising the beams 0, extending in the directionof the length of the stall, stringers of a less height than the beamsarranged at intervals between the same, the stationary floor portion E,arranged upon the stringers between the beams, the movable floor portionF, also arranged upon the stringers between the beams, the stationaryside walls connected to and rising from the beams O, the posts K,arranged at the rear ends of the stationary walls and j ournaled in thebeams 0, so as to enable them to turn, uprights J, connected to andrising from the beams 0, adjacent to the rear ends thereof andcomprising parallel bars, and vertically movable side walls or gatespivotally connected to posts K, and adapted to rest between the bars ofthe uprights J, substantially as specified.

2. A stall for cattle comprising the beams 0, extending in the directionof the length of the stall, stringers of a less height than the beamsarranged at intervals between the same, the stationary floor portion E,arranged upon the stringers between the beams, the movable floor portionF, also arranged upon the stringers between the beams, the station' aryside walls connected to and rising from the beams O, and having stopplates F, at their rear ends, uprights J, connected to and rising fromthe beams 0, adjacent to the rear ends thereof and comprising parallelbars, the posts K, arranged at the rear ends of the stationary walls andjournaled in the beams O, and adapted to be engaged by the stop platesF, springs E, connecting the posts K, and the stationary walls,vertically movable side walls or gates pivotally connected to the postsK, and adapted to rest between the bars of the uprights J, and adaptedto be swung across the stalls and a suitable means for holding the wallsor gates in such position, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MERRILL J. DROVVN. WVitnesses:

H. Gnorornonsr, J OHN F. DOHERTY.

